Sleeping in the car in SNP
Got a great deal from Avis for a full size car.
Is sleeping in the car in a designated campsite in SNP a good idea,
or I better bother with a tent and sleeping bags (2 persons)?
I think I'd have to ask a simple question. Why would you want to sleep in a car? Seriously, what's the point of going camping if you're going to sleep in your vehicle? I mean, I've heard of car camping, but that's just ridiculous.Don't take the term so literally, guys.
"If you play a Nicleback song backwards, you'll hear messages from the devil. Even worse, if you play it forward, you'll hear Nickleback." - Dave Grohl
Why pay the price of admission to the park?
Pull right off the side of the road, jack the car up, slide some concrete blocks under it and move right in. Tape confederate flags across the windows for privacy. If you find a dog and tie it to the bumper, everyone will think you are a native. Try to get a car with hubcaps instead of cast wheels. That way you'll have some dishes and cookpots.
Incidentally there's some nice hotel accomodations in the park too.
Having to bother with a tent and sleeping bags??? How awful.
[COLOR="Blue"]Hokey Pokey [/COLOR]
Ronnen, I suggest you leave the rental car and experience the park on foot and in your tent. You'll have a blast. If you're not thru-hiking, there are some fantastic trails in SNP off of the AT that you might want to explore. They should be less crowded, and offer fine camping opportunities.
Good luck.
'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~
I second MOWGLI's input.
I know from previous posts the reason you are keeping the rental car for multiple days is to avoid paying for a shuttle. But you can still have a memorable all-woods experience if you want one. Just park the rental somewhere in the Park and head north or south on the AT. There are dozens of trailheads which intersect or are very close to the AT. When you've gotten as far as you figure halfway to be, turn around and hike back to your vehicle.
If you plan it right, you can go one way via the AT, and the other way using a combination of side trails and the AT. If you get the excellent PATC maps (www.patc.net), several possibilities should suggest themselves in each SNP district. By also getting the AT guidebook that you can buy with the three-map set, or you can buy it separately if you're only buying one of the maps, you can get fairly detailed descriptions of the side trails along with the AT itself. Quite a few blue- and yellow-blazed side trail intersect or easily connect to the AT.
BTW, your post references sleeping in a car at "designated campsites." The "designated campsites" in SNP are near the AT overnight huts. You can't get a car into some of them. You can only get a car into the others if you are a volunteer or a Park employee and have the necessary gate keys. Now, if you are speaking of campsites at the commercial campgrounds like Big Meadows, Loft Mt., etc. those are gonna cost you $$$. Over a week, probably a big chunk of the $$$ you are trying to save by not using a shuttle service.
Last edited by Skyline; 01-30-2008 at 19:11.
Never mind the tent. Just sleep under a poncho/tarp if it rains.
Use a blue foam pad though for sure.
You've got the right idea though. If you can sleep in a car you can sleep anywhere.
Rent an SUV and you can sleep in the back. Make sure to use one (or two!) of THESE to make your night more comfortable!!!
**warning: Shameless plug above**
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Sleeping in a car in Virginia in the summer, even in the mountains, sounds like a good way to boil yourself.Originally Posted by Ronnen
Park the car at one end, hike to the other end over a few days time, and get a shuttle or hitch back to the car. You'll enjoy it much more.
Don't kill me folks.
There is a big motivation of using a car and doing circle hikes -
meeting the car every evening will allow us to take only water and some food
in our backpack, therefore, to be able to do strenous hikes we wouldn't be able
to do while fully backpacked.
If you're thinking of sleeping in your car at the trailheads, I'm not sure that the rangers would allow that. Why not get a campsite, set your tent up and leave it, then you have a base to return to each evening. Keep your food in the car, cause the rangers will cite you if you leave food out in the campsite.
If you don't make waves, it means you ain't paddling
Been 30 years since I hiked up there..hope to correct that soon... and if the policy is still the same you can park at certain access points to the AT and SNP trails if you are back country hiking. Why not just do your circle hikes leaving your overnight gear in the car, collect it when you get back and set up your tent etc. an easy hiking distance from the car? That way you get the best of both worlds. When my kids were small we would do that so they (read me) would not get tired from the hike in. Just do a search for the upcoming night's campsite when you arrive at a parking location for the day's hike so you don't have to rush finding one before dark. You may have to map out what you are going to do with the Park folks as they used to want to know where you were parking and for how many days so they could determine whether you were in trouble by your vehicle being in one spot beyond the time you stated on your permit.
There is a big motivation of using a car and doing circle hikes -
meeting the car every evening will allow us to take only water and some food
in our backpack, therefore, to be able to do strenous hikes we wouldn't be able
to do while fully backpacked.
I just looked up an el cheapo small Budget weekly rental for May and it is around $170 with taxes. A mini van that would allow you to have a comfortable sleep with an air mattress would go over $400. In any "full" sized car of today's standards you will probably not get a good night's sleep, at least one good enough to let you feel like hiking up and down mountains the next day.
Not sure if you have been here before or whether you plan to tour around a bit later but as the car, if you pitch a tent, would only be to get you from point A to B on the Skyline Drive I'd go the cheap route. If you plan to visit other non camping places you could then switch over to a more comfortable vehicle for that purpose.
Kiyu
"Experience - that thing you only get immediately after you needed it."
By all means, park, hike and tent. It will mean much more to you being outdoors.
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